La Belle Dame Sans merci Monday, 12 November 2018

Questions from the screencast Look at all the adjectives used of the knight and the setting. What do you notice? Where does the “voice” change? What elements of te poem relate to a “fairy tale world” In what ways do we see the Lady described as dangerous? “alone, paley loitering, haggard, woe-begone, moist, fever-dew, cold , death pale…” “ beautiful, long, light, wild, fragrant, sweet…” “Strange, wild, wild, - a faery’s child”

Contrasts: Knights seek love as part of the courtly ideal. What does he find when he finds love? How does this compare to the message in SONNET 116?

Compare love in belle dame and sonnet 116 BD: Love is a trap and negative force Love is everlasting Love brings suffering Love is unrequited Love is powerful Love is of another world 116: Love is powerful Love is “constant” Love is unchanging and honest Love survives great change Love is a positive force

Pathetic Fallacy Look at the settings. What examples can you see of nature mirroring the emotions within the poem? Look carefully for contrast! What do you know of the language of flowers? LILY: The flower of death and mourning ROSE: The flower of love

What effect does the powerful caesura have here? FOCUS ON A STANZA The pairs contrast – lady (pure) becomes faery – (dangerous). This is reinforced by the only rhyme of the stanza… innocence and experience? Look closely at Stanza IV NOTE the contrasts: I met a lady in the meads,        Full beautiful—a faery’s child, Her hair was long, her foot was light,        And her eyes were wild. What effect does the powerful caesura have here? Look at the triplet hair, foot and eyes. Which of those show the true soul? Why is the foot relevant at all? What do you feel is the effect of the SHORT final line in this stanza?